


Free fallin' in you

by ninthdreamie



Series: the squirrel and his dearest acorn [6]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Established Relationship, M/M, Musical References, Non-Linear Narrative, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, also a hint of luren bc hELL YEA, i loved writing this and i love how it came out, it's related to a social media au of mine, nct dream as theatre kids? a concept, theatre kids!nomin au epilogue oneshot, there'll be some makeout sesh happening at the last part uwu, they love each other we GET IT, written in mostly jeno's point of view
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 13:30:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16577432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninthdreamie/pseuds/ninthdreamie
Summary: It does not take a conspiracy theorist for people to notice that popular theatre kid Lee Jeno fell for the shy transferee Na Jaemin at first sight.





	Free fallin' in you

**Author's Note:**

> so hello! this is actually an epilogue oneshot for my social media au in twitter. you can read this before you proceed to the au itself, but there may be some references you won't understand uwu. but anyways, i missed writing nomin in so long that finishing this kinda broke my heart. but anyways, enjoy!
> 
> to intensify the experience, i'll share jeno and jaemin's playlists for each other in the au <3 enjoy reading! (also pls give some feedback i lowkey need validation dhbff)

It does not take a conspiracy theorist for people to notice that Lee Jeno fell for Na Jaemin at first sight.

 

Junior year starts at this very day, and the popular theatre kid has a couple of goals to achieve. He keeps it as a list in his phone, set as his lockscreen, just so he won’t forget it. It is listed in this very order.

 

  1. _Do my very best in this year’s showcase. (Much better if I snag a scholarship!)_
  2. _Fix study habits. (Your grades are fine, but it’s best to aim higher.)_
  3. _Don’t get a boyfriend. (But if I ever fall for someone hard, then so be it.)_
  4. _Contribute to getting Renjun and Lucas hyung get together. (For the love of the Gay Gods, it’s been three (3) years.)_
  5. _Make more happy memories!_



To make sure he doesn’t really forget it, he opens his phone and stares at his lockscreen until he is sure that the five goals already begin to course in his system. It took two minutes for it to happen. Jeno nods and then he closes it, placing his phone back in his bag again.

 

He looks around his new classroom, and pouts, for it is sinking in that neither Renjun nor Donghyuck are his classmates. Sophomore year was such a delightful emotional rollercoaster with the two of them around; now he’ll only get to see them during breaks, after classes, and club meetings. Wait, he’ll be seeing them during some weekends too.

 

Okay, it’s not as bad as he thinks, he’s being dramatic.

 

Jeno’s eyes focus on the empty chair right in front of him. The rest of the students are familiar faces so there probably is a new student. He prays that he can get along with whoever that person is.

 

The entire classroom shushes when the door opens, to another boy dressed in his uniform. What catches everyone’s attention is his rose gold hair, pushed back slightly, leaving a big lump of locks on his head. He carries a clean pink backpack, with many zippers. He looks absolutely fresh, just like every other student should be on the first day.

 

A small smile graces the new person’s face, and Jeno’s mouth opens, just a little bit.

 

Jeno’s eyes continue to follow the new student, even as he sits down on the chair right in front of him. His sitting posture is great. Too engrossed in the new students, the theatre kid does not catch what the latter is listening to in his phone: Satisfied, from the musical _Hamilton_.

 

“Jeno, perhaps you’re crushing on the new kid already?” He hears his classmate whisper, and the rest of that person’s friends chuckle. Jeno turns around on his seat and sticks his tongue out as a response. He chooses to ignore the rest of his classmates’ frequent teasing, until their new adviser for the school year comes in and greets them.

 

Of course, in every start of the school year, everyone has to introduce themselves. Dreadfully, the rest have no choice but to say their name, where they’re from, their hobbies, and a fun fact about themselves. What Jeno hated about doing this activity is that he has to do it again, and again.

 

But maybe he isn’t going to hate it as he stands up from where he sat, when it’s his turn. The new kid turns to his side and leans his chin on the back of the chair, giving his full attention. He has been listening well ever since their first classmate said his name. Jeno stops himself from muttering “cute.”

 

“So good morning everyone, I’m Lee Jeno. I live around here. I love performing, and you’ll get to know more of what I love. Oh, fun fact! I’ve been a theatre kid for three years, ever since I joined theatre club during freshman year.” Jeno enthusiastically says it all, and he tries not to get distracted by the new student’s bright eyes looking up at him. “So if you like listening to Broadway, then we’ll have a pretty decent conversation.”

 

He sits back down and notices the new kid. They finally look into each other’s eyes. Jeno takes this opportunity to smile at him kindly. This causes the latter to smile back and look away. He is probably shy, and that’s okay, because everyone has been there.

 

When it was the new kid’s turn, Jeno did the same thing as the other. He props his chin onto his palm as he begins to listen attentively to the one standing right in front of him, clearing his throat.

 

What Jeno didn’t expect is for the boy to have such a calming and smooth voice the moment he opened his mouth.

 

“Good morning, I’m Na Jaemin.” _Na Jaemin_ , Jeno mentally notes, engraving it in his brain. He doesn’t know why he is. “I’m from a city nearby, and I just transferred. Uh, I like writing a lot, and listening to music. For the fun fact, I— _oh_ , I can cook!”

 

Jeno doesn’t notice that he has already let out the words he’s been keeping in ever since the new kid— _Jaemin_ , entered the room: “Cute.”

 

For a moment, the rest of the class agreed with Jeno. They are now all gushing about how cute Jaemin is, and the new student is taken aback. His cheeks turn pink, and it’s such a nice touch to his skin complexion. “I-I’m not, but thanks.” The theatre kid catches it, and visibly frowns at that response.

 

What happened? What made him say that? And that’s when Jeno stops himself from asking questions.

 

So in conclusion, Jeno found him cute and very interesting during the first day.

 

 

Who would have thought that that was the very start of him falling for Jaemin?

 

Five months ago, the new student sported rose gold locks that the rest of his classmates envied. He was shy, soft spoken, and kept a lot of things to himself. But now, the Na Jaemin he is seeing is absolutely different. His locks are now cotton candy pink in hue, there’s a glittery vibe to his aura, and he is just more confident than before.

 

Na Jaemin is still beautiful, if not more.

 

“Is it whipped hours for Lee Jeno?” He hears Mark whisper next to him, as he watches his boyfriend go over the steps for their opening performance in their showcase, which will happen in two months. Next to Jaemin is Jisung who is willingly helping his older friend go over the footwork with his bright orange hair sticking all over the place.

 

Jeno finally gives the senior his full attention, keeping a straight face as he answered, “Yes it is.”

 

Mark chuckles and pats his shoulder, something he does to the rest of the Broadwayz too. It feels like a gesture, a physical way of saying that the person is doing well, and that comforts a pressured Jeno. Showcase is only two months away and he feels the expectations pile up gradually; the student body is expecting him to outdo his own performance last year. It’s the same pressure put on everyone else.

 

But the pressure lands on the seniors most, just like Mark, since it’s their last year of high school after all.

 

“Have you already gotten over the steps?” Mark asks, to which Jeno nods in response. “Good for you, ‘cause I can barely move my left leg like I should.”

 

“You can do it, Mark hyung!” Jeno finally hears Chenle scream from a distance, finally approaching them with Jisung, and Jaemin. The fresh cabbage head (Jisung started calling him it ever since he got his hair dyed green) had his fist in the air, pumping it hard like he is partying. “You are not Mark Lee for nothing.”

 

Jeno laughs when Mark sighs, loud enough for the rest of the Broadwayz to hear it too. “Senior year murdered the Mark Lee you know, Lele.”

 

Amidst the funny things going on, Jeno notices Jaemin rush to his other side, grabbing his hand once he has gotten close. His pink hair has gotten longer; it’s beginning to cover his brown eyes. But he’s smiling widely again and it does really wonderful things.

 

Jeno lets go of Jaemin’s hand, only to sling his arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer. The rest of their friends notice this gesture, and just in time, Renjun and Donghyuck come back from buying water for the seven of them.

 

Donghyuck makes a face, suddenly averting his eyes from the sight of the couple right in front of him. “Right in front of my salad,” He mutters under his breath as he distributes the bottles. Jeno knows he doesn’t mean it, and he only does it for the sake of comedy.

 

“You got a whole Mark Lee right over here.” Jisung points at Mark, who is currently spacing out. Leave the poor boy alone, he is exhausted.

 

“Mark isn’t even here right now.” With that, all of them chortle, snapping Mark back to reality. Jeno doesn’t know if he should laugh or feel bad for him, so he does both.

 

They stop laughing when Jaemin starts speaking. “But in all seriousness, Mark hyung, learn how to take a break. It doesn’t hurt to nap for at least twenty minutes.” And Mark thanks him for the concern, stretching his arm out to ruffle the former’s hair affectionately.

 

Jaemin says the same thing to the rest of them, to which they said they would. And for Jeno, he opts for whispering it in his ear since they are close. “Don’t overwork yourself, Nono.”

 

And Jeno just wanted to bring him home, and cuddle him until the sun rises the next day. He wanted to shower his face with kisses, and say those three words loud enough for him to hear. He wants to shower Jaemin with love, just like what he’s doing right now.

 

But since there are people around and public displays of affection aren’t encouraged, he smiles back at Jaemin (no one needs to observe it well to see that there’s so much love in his eyes) and replies, “I won’t.”

 

“Good,” Jaemin leaves a quick peck on Jeno’s cheeks.

 

 

It’s too early to call it love.

 

A few weeks of knowing Na Jaemin, and Jeno’s mind is already getting fuzzy over the thought of the new kid. He is deprived of rationality as he continues to think of his new friend, with quick heartbeats and fictional scenarios of them being more than friends.

 

Truthfully, he has not felt this in a while. The last time he did was during the summer before sophomore year started; a blooming summer romance that wilted too soon the moment he realized he wasn’t taken seriously.

 

He’s so used to being left behind dealing with most of the pain that when the person dumped him, he didn’t cry. He didn’t feel anything anymore, and it scared Jeno because it made him feel like a psychopath. Jaemin managed to awaken these feelings in him once again and yes, he is scared.

 

But it’s been a few weeks and it’s too early to act on his feelings, he told himself. He’ll eventually come to know if this experience is adoration and not infatuation in the near future.

 

For now, he needs to focus on getting great grades and being a better performer.

 

 

“Speaking of Halloween, you have plans for the occasion?”

 

Jaemin asks as he snuggles in his hold, being careful on not leaning his head on his face. Jeno leans further on the headboard of his bed, to also feel comfortable as the former rests his back on his chest.

 

He has no idea on how they managed to reach this type of conversation. All he knows is that he had fun talking about good and bad horror movies with his boyfriend, and finally deciding on what to watch the next time Jaemin stops by at his home. Time is definitely passing fast, and Jeno is surprised that none of them are tired of running their mouths continuously.

 

“I might just give candies to the kids, I guess.” Jeno says, and it sounds like a question because he raises the pitch of his voice at the last syllable.

 

Jaemin hums, and lets out a really loud yawn. He’s still cute even if his face is scrunched together and it looks funny. “I’m so sleepy.” He begins to toy with Jeno’s hands that rest on his stomach as he blinks his eyes slowly, the drowsiness finally getting to him. “Now, I just wanna sleep. You should too; this week’s been so tiring.”

 

And Jeno doesn’t say no, because he is tired too. He’s been suffering from aching leg muscles through frequent showcase practices, and even the simple task of walking is already such a pain. He moves his torso until he feels his back rest on the mattress and his head rest on his pillow.

 

Wow, Jeno didn’t realize that his bed was the most comfortable thing to lie on until this very moment. Or maybe it’s just him feeling fluffy inside because Jaemin is clinging onto him like a koala, snuggling his face on the crook of his neck, draping an arm and leg over the rest of his body.

 

This keeps Jeno awake, because he is beginning to think of how it would feel like to sleep next to Jaemin and to wake up next to him too every day. He is sure that it’ll be a very lovely feeling, because he is with the person he loves.

 

Jeno imagines waking up to Jaemin wearing his hoodie in the near future, and he feels his heart bursting at the thought. A smile makes its way to his face. The latter is really included in his lifetime plan.

 

“Love, please get some sleep.” He hears Jaemin groan. “Or else these lips of a bad kisser will end up on yours.”

 

“That sounds great.” Jeno replies, carding his fingers through his boyfriend’s pink hair. “And you’re a good kisser, what are you saying?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

Jeno takes this opportunity to hover over his boyfriend, looking down at him with an unexplainable glimmer in his eyes. Before he even does anything, he pauses and delves deeper into his thoughts. _What did I do to deserve you?_ And that very question repeats, spinning around his head, and it becomes a mantra.

 

Jaemin blinks his eyes, looking back at him with a sleepy smile. “What are you thinking about?”

 

“You.” Jeno answers immediately. “I love you.”

 

His smile widens. “I love you.” Jeno’s head dips down and his lips capture Jaemin’s in a loving kiss.

 

 

Some kind of ghost must have possessed Jeno as he entered the convenience store. His eyes searched for a bottle of chocolate milk to quench his craving for a sweet drink. He got it soon enough, feeling its coldness melt onto the heat of his palm.

 

After getting chocolate milk, he supposedly planned on going home. But he begins to look for something else.

 

Jeno looks at the area that sells sachets of whatever, from shampoos and conditioners to powdered milk. He checks the sachets of instant coffee, and his eyes settle on the last pack of it. It’s decaffeinated.

 

Will Jaemin like this? He has no idea, but he wanted to give him something in return after his friend made him sandwiches two weeks ago. Jeno feels a weird twitch in his heart remembering it. It’s a grateful kind of pain, if it makes sense.

 

So that is why he is out of Jaemin’s home, holding a plastic bag of coffee packs; two of them are instant black coffee, and one is decaffeinated. He gets his phone from the pocket of his sweatpants and starts calling his friend.

 

_“Hey Nono.”_ Jaemin’s sweet voice is heard from the other line, and it makes Jeno’s heart flutter, especially by the nickname.

 

“Look out the window.”

 

_“Huh?”_

 

And then he sees the pink and orange curtains covering a particular window open up. Jaemin’s face appears, and he’s holding his phone close to his ear. Jeno’s grin widens upon the sight of the former, and he raises the plastic bag he is holding.

 

_“What the hell, why are you outside of my house?”_ He sees Jaemin mouth the words and he hears it from his phone, and he is obviously frowning. Jeno knows he will be nagged at again, and he also knows how to shush him of his concerns.

 

Two months have passed, and Jeno can say that Jaemin knows him well, and vice versa. This time around, he acknowledges the beat of his heart and his brain going on overdrive the moment the latter’s frown turns into a wide grin. In between, he forgot how to breathe.

 

“I know it’s too much, but can you get out of your room?”

 

_“I’ll be there.”_

 

The curtain closes, and Jeno lets out a sigh. He didn’t have to do this, but he did. He glances at the ground and realizes that his feelings for Jaemin increased to a maximum. This isn’t considered a pure crush anymore, but perhaps it is infatuation.

 

It really is too early to call it love.

 

The front door opens and Jaemin appears, his honey brown hair swept by the wind the moment he took a step outside. He still looks adorable even if he is clad in his pajamas; Jeno’s eyes widen for a split second.

 

Oh fuck, he really is whipped. He knows because his delusional ass thinks that his friend is glimmering and he is too pretty for his own good. And he wouldn’t think twice if Jaemin asked him to give him the moon.

 

Jaemin walks closer until the distance between them is just right. His brown orbs look so glittery, it somewhat made Jeno’s heartbeat calm a little. “What’s in there?”

 

Jeno hands the plastic bag as he answers, “A pack of coffee for your moms, and a pack of _decaffeinated_ coffee for you.” He sees the shock plastered all over Jaemin’s face afterwards; it makes him feel like he just said the wildest thing.

 

Contrary to his loud facial expression, Jaemin’s voice is soft. The way how he holds onto the plastic bag is gentle too. Jeno observes that he actually pouts when he talks. “You didn’t have to buy these for me. But thanks a lot, Nono.”

 

“You made sandwiches for me because I didn’t eat breakfast two weeks ago, remember?” Jeno rubs the back of his neck as he feels heat come up to his cheeks. It’s probably because of the cold evening breeze. “So I thought that I should buy this in return, since you love coffee.”

 

Jaemin’s gaze softens, and it’s unrealistic to say it, but he gets prettier each second. It’s cliché, but Jeno thinks that the former is really beautiful at this exact moment. “You didn’t have to do that, Nono. I made those sandwiches because you were so tired during practices.”

 

A genuine smile forms on Jeno’s lips and eyes as he counters, “But I want to, Nana. And I already bought it, so.” He pats Jaemin’s head afterwards. “Don’t feel too guilty about it, okay? You’ve already done so much for me.”

 

He hopes that he doesn’t sound too fond and affectionate to the younger.

 

His friend grins, and his eyes crinkle. Jeno wonders if Jaemin ever notices how bright he looks looking like that: touched, carefree, and happy. “I’m not.” The silence stretches for a second or two, as the latter tries to form words, but to no avail. “Just—thank you so much, Jeno.”

 

Thinking before acting does not really exist to Lee Jeno; it shows as he pulls Jaemin into his embrace, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. His arms continue to hold onto the latter even more, a way to show that he cares, a way to make the latter know that he matters so much to him.

 

It isn’t surprising because it isn’t new knowledge, but Jeno cares for Jaemin much more than he should.

 

“You’re welcome, Jaem.” Then they sway to the tempo of the song that they performed at the school gymnasium earlier, lost in their own world. Jaemin softly giggles in the middle of it all, and Jeno tries to calm his palpitating heart in the process. He fails to do so.

 

He didn’t want to go. He wanted to stay with Jaemin a little more and bask in the moment he is sharing with him. Be with him forever, maybe. Jeno isn’t really sure.

 

Jaemin’s footsteps halt, pulling away slightly. The glimmer in his eyes intensify and Jeno hates how he is being such a romantic again, thinking that he wouldn’t mind getting lost in his friend’s eyes. “You need to go home.”

 

He didn’t want to really, but he has no choice. So he bobs his head, smiling sheepishly. “I will.” They pull away from each other, and Jeno begins to yearn for the warmth Jaemin is emitting again. He shouldn’t be too sad though; they see each other almost every day anyway. But it really is different when it’s just them. He keeps in mind to cherish these moments even more.

 

“I’ll go home now.”

 

“Yeah, you better.”

 

Jaemin playfully pushes his arm as he said so, then Jeno begins to walk away. His steps were sluggish, like he is trying to keep his feet attached to the ground. He is even afraid that if he looked back, he wouldn’t think twice and stay at his home for the night.

 

He sighs, and slightly turns around, waving his hand back at Jaemin who is doing the same thing with such a sweet smile on his face. He’d love to see that smile for a lifetime. He continues to wave his hand while walking away, until he no longer sees an inch of his friend at all.

 

 

He’d be lying if he said that he feels secure in his relationship with Jaemin.

 

There are times wherein he would look at his boyfriend and think of the worst situations that can happen to the both of them. Jeno imagines being left behind, just like his past relationships, and he feels guilty for thinking that way when Jaemin has been treating him so well.

 

He has been too kind, too patient, and too loving, and Jeno is scared that it will all end one day.

 

He is too lost in his thoughts again that he doesn’t notice Renjun trying to bring him back to reality. One of his six best friends continuously snaps his fingers, and Jeno blinks his eyes once—maybe twice, finally returning to reality. “Jen, ya good?”

 

“Jun, you sound like a het.” Jeno replies, grimacing. “Lucas hyung really got some effect on you.”

 

Renjun’s wide grin falters, and he lets out a sigh. He’s terrible at hiding his emotions, Jeno thought. “He does,” He agrees wistfully, his lips pressing on a thin line afterwards.

 

Jeno knows that both of his (romantically dumb) friends are going through a rough patch, and he is thankful that he and Jaemin aren’t going through anything for now. But that doesn’t mean they won’t go through it either. He worries again, gulping the lump down his throat as a sign.

 

“You’re thinking of things again, aren’t you?” Renjun snaps him out of reality again, with a glare. “Snap out of it. Be thankful you and Nana got things going so well.”

 

“But that doesn’t mean we will be undergoing a rough patch.” Jeno runs his hands through his face in agitation. “I mean—you and Cas hyung. You’re not even dating and your problem equals to that of a couple’s. What more for Nana and I?”

 

Renjun snickers, rolling his eyes in the process. “It’s very brave of you, to be able to be in a relationship despite the fear that comes with it.” He mumbles and Jeno catches it, but he chooses to not say anything. He lets his friend continue. “I could never. My father’s mistake would get to me first before I can even properly tell Yukhei I love him.”

 

Jeno knew about that. He couldn’t imagine being in Renjun’s position at that time, having to hear that his parents getting divorced through a phone call from his siblings. He couldn’t imagine his parent getting cheated on by a person he looked up to the most. He couldn’t imagine it happening to him too.

 

It was when Renjun cried again did he realize that not everyone’s blessed with the courage to commit to someone wholeheartedly. Love is never really enough when it comes to these things. Jeno goes back home wondering if he is consistent in treating Jaemin the way he deserves to. Is he doing well, or is he dwelling on his insecurities again?

 

That question gets tested when in the midst of doing homework, he gets a call from his boyfriend, and the first thing he hears is a loud sob coming from the other line. Jeno’s heart rate shoots up at hearing Jaemin sobbing.

 

“Babe, why are you crying?” All he can hear is Jaemin’s ceaseless sobs, and it stops him from continuing his homework. He was ready to at least spread some comfort through his words until his boyfriend began to speak, even if he sounded so choked up.

 

_“I-I just talked to my friends from back home, and I miss them so bad.”_ Jaemin answers, his voice shaky. He tried so hard to sound normal, but it failed anyway. _“We just caught up on each other’s lives and they t-told me they were really happy for me. They even kept the t-things I used to make for them b-before. They want me to come home soon, and I said I will.”_

 

Jeno can tell that Jaemin is happy, despite how sad he sounds because of his tears making him sound groggy. “That’s nice to hear, Nana.”

 

_“When I told them about h-how things were going for me here, they told me that I sound so h-happy talking about the rest of Broadwayz and you. And as I was talking to t-them, I realized something really huge. M-Maybe it’s why I’m crying harder.”_ Jaemin laughs to himself in the midst of it, and the sound makes Jeno’s heart constrict painfully.

 

Oh how he wishes he can go to Jaemin’s home and wipe those tears away. He wishes to hug him until he isn’t crying anymore and starts smiling instead. He just wants to be there for him, and it sucks knowing that he can’t do that. Damn curfews.

 

“What is it?” Jeno asks softly once he begins to stop hearing things from the other line. He is wondering if Jaemin ended the call.

 

And then he hears a sniffle a few seconds later. Jeno sighs in relief.

 

_“Thank you for everything.”_ Another sniffle is heard, but Jeno pays no mind to it. _“Thank you for wanting to be my friend. Thank you for encouraging me to join theatre club and meet such wonderful people. Thank you for caring for me, always. Thank you for making this small town another home for me.”_

Jeno’s heart swells, and as his lips begin to stretch at both corners, his eyes turn into crescents. “You deserve more than what you have, Nana.”

 

_“I love you, Lee Jeno.”_ Jaemin sounds much clearer at this part now, and hearing him say it with such genuineness just shoved away all the fears and insecurities Jeno have. _“I love you, Moonlight.”_

After hearing it, Jeno wants to laugh at himself for being such a self-doubting boyfriend. Jaemin isn’t like the others boys he dated before. This time around, he knows that this is the right one, this thing that they got going on will last really long. And sure, maybe they’ll fight from time to time but as long as they choose each other at the end of the day, then they can do it right.

 

He has faith in their relationship. They can make this work.

 

_“I love you, Na Jaemin.”_

 

People might think that Jeno is too lovesick to focus on himself, but that is absolutely not true. He just likes highlighting his moments with Jaemin more because he is at his happiest when he is with him, but that also does not mean he isn’t happy when he is with his other friends.

 

It’s just that when it comes to just being himself, Jeno is a boy who prioritizes whatever needs to be prioritized. His vision gets tunnelled, and he focuses on that one thing only. In Jisung’s words, he is _programmed_ as a baby workaholic.

 

That is why he is about to lose it now. He feels bad for his classmates who basically shouldered most of the work in their project. Jeno contributed whatever he could, out of wanting to get a good grade and also doing his job as a member of his group. Not to mention, those classmates are his friends too. The ones who barely helped? They just watched them suffer with all the workload until it was done.

 

And he is so mad that his friends decided to add those classmates’ names in their final output.

 

“I am going to cross their names out.” Jeno hisses as he holds his group’s output in his hands, thick bond papers stapled together. He handles it with care, a huge contrast to the anger present in the way that he is speaking.

 

“Jeno, please don’t.” One of his friends said, but it was already too late. Jeno already held his pen and drew a line over the computerized names of those damn students who barely helped in their project. The rest had to watch in horror as he tucks his pen back into the pocket of his blazer, sporting his infamous eye smile.

 

Jeno passes their paper afterwards, and the teacher raises an eyebrow at the names that were cleared out by just a line. “Mr. Lee, why are their names crossed out?” He asks.

 

Still sporting his eye smile, Jeno loudly answers, “They didn’t help and contribute anything, sir.”

 

Jaemin was by the other side of the teacher’s table at that time. His eyes widened at the sight of Jeno looking and sounding dangerously sweet (if that ever made sense) and his classmates, whose eyes widened in horror. He has never seen his friend like this before.

 

“It’s best to give them _the egg score_ to teach them a lesson.” Jeno adds and turns around. He returns to his seat with his head held high, and his lazy classmates getting up from their chairs, about to land their fists on his handsome face.

 

Unfortunately, a fight did not happen because their class president prevented it from happening. Jeno wished it happened though, so he could vent out his anger on them too.

 

But here he is, munching angrily on a hamburger while Jaemin sits beside him for lunch again, stuffing his stomach with fries. Jeno hasn’t said a word since the break started, and the other is absolutely worried. He is contemplating if he should leave the classroom and give him some time to be alone or just stay where is and keep quiet.

 

“If you want, I can leave,” Jaemin mutters, and Jeno isn’t even looking at him. “I’ll be with Renjun and Donghyuck, so don’t worry.”

 

Before he can get up from his chair, Jeno finally talks. Jaemin stops in his tracks, afraid that he might have made him angrier.

 

“Please stay.”

 

And Jaemin does stay. Jeno’s rough facial expression crumbles completely, and he is now pouting. He doesn’t look at his pretty friend too.

 

“Was I scary earlier?” Unlike earlier, his voice has turned soft.

 

“Yeah, you were.” Jaemin admits, but he still smiles at Jeno nonetheless. “But you don’t need to be sorry. I understand your frustration.”

 

Maybe it’s just because he is whipped, but just hearing Jaemin speak in general is enough to bring back a sweet smile on Jeno’s face. His shoulders suddenly feel light, and he begins to feel regret over not savouring the flavour of the hamburger. But it’s fine. His stomach feels full, anyway. And he does not have regrets crossing his classmates’ names out at all.

 

Jeno gets up from his chair. “I don’t wanna eat anymore. Let’s dance.” He offers a hand, and Jaemin willingly takes it. Now they are dancing around their classroom, careful enough not to let their majestic movements ruin the arrangement of the desks, but still having fun.

 

He may sound unbearably cheesy if he uttered this out loud, but every moment with Na Jaemin is magical.

 

He twirls him around, and Jaemin lets out a giggle every time he spins. They’re just simply waltzing around the free areas of the room to the music that’s playing in the other’s phone, not caring about what they’d look like to outsiders who will eventually see them by the window. They are in their own little world and once again, Jeno breaks free of his baby workaholic self, enjoying this very moment with the person he currently loves the most.

 

What Jeno did not expect is him earning a kiss on the cheek as they stop dancing. His eyes widen at Jaemin’s sweet gesture. The latter just giggles again, his cheeks turning pink.

 

Pink looks good on Jaemin, Jeno thinks as he looks at him lovingly.

 

“I hope you didn’t mind that,” Jaemin whispers as he begins to find Jeno’s necktie completely interesting, the pink on his cheeks getting stronger.

 

Rather than going for verbal communication, Jeno does the same thing: he leaves a lingering kiss on Jaemin’s cheek, hoping that it comes off as platonic rather than his original intention.

 

“I know that this is out of the blue but thank you for being _you_ , Na Jaemin.” Jeno tells him genuinely, and Jaemin’s eyes slightly get glassy as he says those words. “You’re honestly amazing.”

 

Jaemin has not cried in a while. The last time he ever cried was when he remembered his first love, the person who has hurt him the most. The tears he shed during those times were that of pain, but now, the crystals that slide down his cheeks are that of gratefulness. He was about to wipe it off but Jeno stops him, holding onto his closed fist.

 

“Let them fall. It’s okay.” Jaemin nods, mentally noting his assuring words; he engraves it in his heart too. So as Jeno continues sweeping him off his feet, he lets the tears fall. But this time, his smile widens, feeling the appreciation coming from the other.

 

Na Jaemin’s the happiest he ever was with Lee Jeno.

 

 

It does not take a conspiracy theorist for people to know that Na Jaemin loves Lee Jeno a lot, like with all his heart.

 

Truthfully, he thought he’d never love hard again, but here he was. He was staying the night in Jeno’s house, since he was too tired to even walk home and his two moms weren’t around for the week. They were out on their respective business trips. Jaemin wished they’re having fun despite knowing that they’re out of the country for work.

 

They were really sleeping well, surrounded by pillows and a fluffy blanket, and they were even hugging each other. But his body woke up on its own in the middle of the wee hours, his lips chapped and throat aching for water.

 

Now, they’re by the kitchen counter as Jaemin gulps down the water in the glass he’s holding. He feels hydrated because it’s cold against his throat, but he knows that he’ll feel thirsty again sometime later. Hopefully, it will be in the morning.

 

Since he did not bring his own set of clothes, Jaemin is wearing one of Jeno’s hoodies and some shorts that has been hidden for too long in his boyfriend’s closet. He thinks about what he is wearing, and a fuzzy feeling spreads on his chest.

 

There’s something really cute about wearing your boyfriend’s clothing, Jaemin thinks.

 

Speaking of his boyfriend, Jeno is just right beside him, wearing a loose white shirt and sweatpants. He is wearing his prescription glasses, but it’s useless since he is sleepy and his eyes are about to close again anytime soon. Jaemin then hurries up and gulps the water down, placing the glass on the sink.

 

He turns to Jeno. He realizes that the atmosphere surrounding the both of them is absolutely domestic, and that means it’s cute. Jaemin can’t help but think that they’ll probably be like this in the near future, maybe when they end up in the same university or when they finally move in together. That is, if they’re still together at that time.

 

He knows it’s too early to question if it will really be them in the long run, since they’re still in the so-called honeymoon stage of their relationship and Jaemin is still rendered blind by his feelings. But he knows one thing for sure: he loves Jeno, he really does.

 

As he is about to completely space out, Jeno reaches out for Jaemin’s hand and squeezes it. “Let’s get back to bed.” He drawls.

 

“I love you.”

 

Jaemin means it when he says that he does love him, and he always wants to let the other know that, which is why he says it as much as he inhales and exhales. He sees the surprise in Jeno’s facial expression, which lasted for only a few heartbeats before he smiles. The latter gets closer to him, decreasing the distance between the both of them, close enough to kiss each other.

 

But unlike before, Jeno does not stop himself from leaning forward. He proceeds to hold him by the waist (for some reason, Jaemin thinks that they look like a typically greasy married couple) and leaves a passionately sweet kiss on his lips.

 

Soon enough, he does not feel his feet touching the ground. Both of his hands reach out for Jeno’s arms not to lose balance, even if the other is already carrying him by his thighs. He still gets kissed even as he is carried out of the kitchen and onto the stairs.

 

Jaemin is wondering how Jeno can do this. His eyes are closed, and he’s lacking focus. How does he do it? He isn’t familiar with these kinds of things. Heck, he has no idea if what they’re doing is basically kissing or this thing that his classmates call as _making out_.

 

He disregards the thoughts circling around his head and goes with the flow. As the door to Jeno’s unlit bedroom opens, he locks his legs around his waist.

 

The lips once attached to Jaemin’s lips now latch onto his neck, creating rosy hickeys that will surely be hard to cover in a few hours, but at this point he doesn’t care anymore. He decides on not covering them once he goes to school.

 

Jeno leaves the door open and focuses on Jaemin alone, making sure that the love marks he is making reach up to his collarbones. He sits down at the edge of his bed and lets the latter straddle his lap.

 

Completely breathless, Jaemin asks, “What are we doing?” He has the dazed look in his eyes, his fluffy pink hair is a mess, and his lips are swollen. To further add, the love bites littered around his neck are turning purple, a huge contrast to his fair skin. In Jeno’s eyes, he looks absolutely beautiful.

 

He stops what he’s doing, and looks right into Jaemin’s eyes. “Making out.”

 

What comes after is a totally awkward silence. Jaemin finally sinks it in that he is currently doing what average teenagers with raging hormones do, with his boyfriend. Don’t get him wrong, he isn’t disgusted at all—in fact, he’s slightly turned on by what’s happening. He didn’t expect for the both of them to get a little bit sensual this soon.

 

“Do you want me to stop?” Jeno asks, sharing the same kind of appearance as the other. His light brown hair is a mess and his lips are absolutely swollen, but he still looks undeniably handsome.

 

“N-No. I like it.”

 

Jaemin leans in and clumsily initiates an open-mouthed kiss, tightening his grip on Jeno’s white shirt. He likes this feeling, getting completely lost in the other. His free hand makes way to the latter’s light brown locks, running his fingers through it as the kiss keeps getting deeper, and messier.

 

He also feels Jeno’s hands roaming around his body, and it’s making him shiver. Compared to the rough kisses, his touches are unbearably gentle; it’s going to make Jaemin lose his mind. The latter moans when his thigh gets squeezed, and he whines when he feels his boyfriend’s other hand make its way beneath the hoodie he’s wearing, feeling up his bare skin.

 

Jeno slightly lifts the hoodie up, exposing his stomach. He situates both of his hands on his waist, rubbing them from time to time as he continues leaving Jaemin breathless, in his own special way.

 

In the midst of all this happening, Jaemin realizes that in the near future, this will happen frequently. Something _more_ than this is eventually going to happen soon enough, and back then, he used to be scared of experiencing these. But Jeno makes things so easy and so comfortable.

 

Jeno makes him feel loved all the time, even in the heat of the moment.

 

He pulls away from the kiss and proceeds to look at Jaemin with such a dumb-looking yet fond gaze. People may laugh at how whipped Jeno is for him, but only the two of them know how they’d drop everything for each other if necessary.

 

“You’re so... _beautiful_.” Jeno murmurs as he caresses Jaemin’s face with his hand, rubbing his thumb softly across the apple of his cheek. “I’m sorry, that’s all I can ever say.”

 

Jaemin chuckles and looks away. “It’s fine, I understand that feeling.” He looks back at Jeno, his natural brown orbs glimmering despite the darkness surrounding them. Only the moonlight is there to make them see each other. “Because that’s what I feel when I’m with you.”

 

A chaste kiss is shared between the two after that exchange. And then more kisses follow, until Jaemin takes off the hoodie he is wearing, leaving him half-naked and prone to the cold breeze.

 

Jeno’s eyes widen at this daring move, but Jaemin wraps his arms around his neck.

 

_Keep doing what you’re doing._

_Go easy on me._

_Love me._

The look in Jaemin’s eyes says it all. “Okay,” Jeno utters.

 

And Jeno does give what Jaemin wants as they kiss each other again: _love_. But it’s not like he never gave him it throughout the whole time of knowing each other.

 

Everyone knows that from day one, Jeno and Jaemin do love each other.

**Author's Note:**

> pls do leave a comment, i'd accept a scream, it's okay. just validate me. please.
> 
> here's my twitter and my cc if u wanna talk about it!


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